DATE ARCHIVES : April 2012

(Video) The Last Tycoons – Carmelita | Barrygruff Presents #3

You forgot a username for the YouTube shortcode

It may have taken time to get this video done and dusted but it was worth the wait. Here is a quick video of The Last Tycoons playing ‘Carmelita’ from BarryGruff Presents #3, live in Flanagan’s, Newbridge, 14th December 2011. It was a great night with super performances from The Last Tycoons, Sive & Ciaran Dwyer. The video was shot by Joe Dunne and edited by Stephen Connelly.

Don’t forget about BarryGruff Presents #4: Ghost Estates w/ Neon Wolf on Easter Sunday, April 8th in Flanagan’s, Newbridge.

Conor Mason – Standstill

Album review of Conor Mason’s ‘Standstill’ published for State.ie on March 30th 2012.

Despite this being his third album, Conor Mason is not a name many will be overly familiar with. Growing up in the historic walled city of Derry, music has been present in his life from a young age. Mason has now found his space on the musical landscape, not dissimilar to that occupied by luminaries Matthew Jay or Elliott Smith.

Standstill continues where 2009’s When It’s Over left off. It flows gently by, amid a sea of soft lilting vocals, whispering lyrical poeticisms and subtle instrumentation. It is permeated by an air of richness, comforting tranquillity and shrouded in melancholy.

While it is predominantly an acoustic affair, the beautiful soft acoustic ballads of ‘Standstill’, ‘Sundown’ and ‘Last to Leave’ lead the way. There is a willingness to branch out beyond the simplicity of ballads. ‘Misunderstood’ is much more ‘indie-rock’, as is ‘Words’ which begins softly with hushed vocals before picking up pace and descending into a Coral-esque freak out, yet neither sound out of place. It is this and Mason’s preference for embracing the whispering delicacies of mood and lyrical emotion, which bind the album and prevent it from slipping into tedium.

Standstill is a slow burner with Mason rarely going beyond first gear. It requires patience, understanding and repeated listens to be fully appreciated. Standstill is a beautiful, simplistic and assured album and sometimes that is quite enough.

Conor Mason – Standstill

Conor Mason – Words

Damon Albarn | Dr Dee ‘The Marvelous Dream’

You forgot a username for the YouTube shortcode

Now, I’m a fan of most of Damon Albarn‘s work, especially Blur, The Good The Bad And The Queen and Gorillaz. If I’m honest,  I was more than a little dubious when I heard he was recording an album inspired by the life of John Dee, a mathematician, polymath and advisor to Elizabeth I. In fact, I was more like, “oh no, he’s turning into fucking Sting”!.

The first track from the album, ‘The Marvelous Dream’, reveals my fear while not unwarranted, may have been a little hasty. The song itself is wonderful yet pretty simple, a lightly strummed acoustic guitar is eventually joined by some claps and humming, with Albarn’s vocals impeccable as ever. Described by Albarn as ‘strange pastoral folk’, a fitting description. 

Albarn’s 2012 already looked as packed as ever, where does he find the time? Dr Dee will be released on 7th May via Parlophone Records.